HTTP Status Codes Explained: What 200, 301, 302, 404, 500 Really Mean

 Instantly check the HTTP code returned by a URL (200, 301, 302, 404, 500...) to diagnose errors, redirects, and server issues. Great for technical SEO, site auditing, and troubleshooting. Source

Contents

• Use the tool now
• What is an HTTP code (and why is it important)?
• How to use the HTTP Status Code Checker (step by step)
• Understanding the results (SEO interpretation + troubleshooting)
• 3 real examples (concrete cases + what to do)
• Quick diagnostic workflow (recommended)
• FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions
• Related tools (internal links)
• Screenshots to add (recommended)
• Conclusion

Use the tool now

Paste a URL, run the analysis, and then interpret the result with the how-to guide below.
Tip: Test your homepage first, then a deep page (e.g. ), then a URL that you recently edited. /blog/…

What is an HTTP code (and why is it important)?

HTTP status codes are the "signals" exchanged between browsers, robots (e.g. Googlebot) and servers each time a page loads. Understanding them allows you to quickly identify: broken pages (404), redirects (301/302), and server errors (5xx). 

The 5 Code Families (Quick View)

• 1xx (Information): Request received, processing
• 2xx (Success): Successfully processed request (e.g. 200))
• 3xx (Redirect): Moved resource (e.g. 301, 302)
• 4xx (Client error): Invalid request / access denied / resource not found (e.g. 403, 404)
• 5xx (Server error): The server fails to respond (e.g. 500, 502, 503) Source

How to use the HTTP Status Code Checker (step by step)

1. Enter the full URL (with ).https://
2. Start the check.
3. Note the final status (200/404/500...) and, if the page redirects, the type of redirect (301/302/308).
4. Use the "Understanding the Results" section to decide what to fix. 

Common mistakes

• Test a URL without and take a redirect for an error.https://
• Ignore redirect chains (A → B → C).
• See 200 OK while the page is almost empty ("soft 404" risk). 

Understanding the results (SEO interpretation + troubleshooting)

200 OK — everything is fine (in general)

Means: The page returns content.
Warning: if an "empty" page returns 200, Google may consider it weak (soft 404). 

301 / 308 — permanent redirect

Means: URL moved permanently.
Good use: http→https migration, slug change, redesign, page merge.
Avoid: Redirect chains (A→B→C), which slow down and complicate indexing. 

302 / 307 — temporary redirect

Means: temporary move (maintenance, A/B test, short campaign).
Risk: Too long, it sends ambiguous SEO signals. 

404 Not Found — page not found

Means: The URL doesn't exist (or no longer exists).
Quick fixes:

1. if replacement → put a 301 to the most relevant page
2. otherwise → keep 404, remove internal links to this URL and update the sitemap 

403 Forbidden — access denied

Means: The server understands the request but denies access.
Common causes: permissions, WAF rules, IP blocking, anti-bot restrictions. 

5xx — server issue (500 / 502 / 503)

Means: The server is unable to respond correctly.
Tip: In maintenance, serving a 503 is better than a broken page. 

3 real examples (concrete cases + what to do)

Example 1 — A normal page returns 200 OK

Case: A page that needs to be indexed and visible.
Expected result: What to do:
check that the content is really useful (avoid a very poor page that returns 200). 200 OK

Example 2 — Old URL redirects correctly to 301

Case: You have changed a URL and want to preserve SEO.
Expected result: to the new URL, ideally in 1 hop.
What to do: If you see A→B→C, correct to redirect A→C directly. 301 Moved Permanently

Example 3 — A page returns 404 (or soft 404)

Case: You are testing a URL that is assumed to be active.
Result:
What to do:404 Not Found

• If the page has been replaced: 301 to the replacement
• Otherwise: remove internal links + remove from sitemap 

Quick diagnostic workflow (recommended)

1. Check the code with this tool.
2. If it's a redirect (3xx), parse the string + final destination.
3. If it's an HTTPS issue, check certificate/expiration.
4. If you suspect a DNS issue, check the records.
5. If the URL contains encoded parameters, test the encoding/decoding. 

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions

1) Is a 404 still bad for SEO?

No. A 404 is normal if a page is actually deleted. The problem is when important pages (or internal links) lead to 404s. 

2) 301 or 302: which one to choose?

301/308 for permanent change. 302/307 for a temporary change (maintenance, testing). 

3) What is a chain of redirects?

When A redirects to B, and B redirects to C. Ideally, A should redirect directly to C. 

4) Why do I see 200 OK but the page seems "empty"?

This is a possible case of "soft 404": the page responds 200 but does not provide value. You have to enrich the page or correct the status if it doesn't really exist. 

5) What if I get 403 Forbidden?

Check WAF/security, server permissions, IP restrictions, and anti-bot protections. 

6) What is 503 Service Unavailable used for?

During maintenance, 503 indicates that this is temporary and that the robots need to come back later. 

7) 307/308: what is the difference with 301/302?

307 ≈ 302 and 308 ≈ 301, with stricter management of the method (GET/POST). 

8) Which URLs to test as a priority on a site?

Homepage, traffic pages, recently modified pages, old URLs (redirects). 

9) How do you fix a lot of 404s after a redesign?

Make an old→new mapping, put 301s, clean up internal links, update the sitemap. 

10) Is this tool enough to diagnose a problem?

This is the first step. Then, combine with redirects, SSL, headers, and DNS to isolate the cause. 

Related tools (internal links)

These tools are the perfect complement to a diagnosis of HTTP codes (redirects, SSL, DNS, headers, URLs):

1. Redirect Checker — https://theskil.com/tool/redirect-checker 
2. HTACCESS Redirect Generator — https://theskil.com/tool/htaccess-generator 
3. SSL Checker — https://theskil.com/tool/ssl-checker 
4. DNS Lookup — https://theskil.com/tool/dns-lookup 
5. HTTP Headers Parser — https://theskil.com/tool/http-headers-parser 
6. URL Decoder — https://theskil.com/tool/url-decoder 
7. URL Encoder — https://theskil.com/tool/url-encoder 
8. URL Parser — https://theskil.com/tool/url-parser 

Screenshots to add (recommended)

To make the page more "AdSense-ready" (proof of real use + better UX), add 3 screenshots:

1. Tool with a filled URL + "Check" button
2. Result showing a 301 → 200 route
3. Result 404 + box "actions to be taken" 

Conclusion

The HTTP Status Code Checker is the fastest way to check if a page is accessible, redirected correctly, or broken. To go further, use the linked tools (redirects, SSL, headers, DNS) to isolate the exact cause.